Secure Product Tracking Data Storage via Non-Invertible Hashing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for product tracking data storage are insecure, inconsistent, and lack verifiable access, making it difficult for authorized parties to access purchase history and product information, particularly for private data like pharmaceutical purchases, and hinder manufacturers' ability to track products down the supply chain.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using non-invertible hashing to securely store product serial numbers and account identifiers in a distributed data store, allowing verification and access by authorized parties through a secure distributed ledger or database, enabling secure and verifiable storage and retrieval of product tracking data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If product tracking data is stored in a single centralized system, then data access and verification are simplified, but security and reliability are compromised due to single point of failure and vulnerability to data loss or theft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized data storage system into multiple distributed nodes across a blockchain network. Each node maintains a copy of the data, eliminating the single point of failure. The data is segmented into blocks that are chained together cryptographically, providing both security and distributed access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cryptographic hash functions as intermediaries between the original data and its storage. Instead of storing sensitive raw data, the system stores hash values that serve as verifiable intermediaries, allowing verification without exposing the underlying sensitive information.
2Reliability
If purchase history data is kept private and restricted, then consumer privacy is protected, but authorized parties such as merchant branches, repair agents, and regulatory authorities cannot verify purchases or track products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates cryptographic copies of data through hashing. The original sensitive data remains private, but verifiable copies in the form of hash values are distributed across the network, allowing authorized verification without exposing the original sensitive information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the data representation from raw sensitive information to cryptographic hash values. This parameter change allows the data to maintain its verification function while losing its sensitivity, enabling both privacy protection and authorized access.
3Quantity of substance
If product tracking data is stored electronically in diverse and inconsistent systems, then data storage capacity is increased, but data security and verification reliability are compromised due to inconsistent implementation and single system dependency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal blockchain-based data storage system that can handle various types of product tracking data consistently. The same cryptographic protocols and data structures are applied across all data storage operations, eliminating the inconsistencies of previous diverse systems while maintaining the capacity to store large volumes of data.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to secure and verifiable storage and retrieval of data, in particular in the context of product tracking. According to one aspect there is provided a computer-implemented verifiable data storage method comprising: receiving a product serial number; receiving an account identifier; producing a non-invertible hash by operating on the product serial number and the account identifier; and causing the hash to be written to a secure distributed data store. According to another aspect there is provided a computer-implemented verification method comprising: receiving a product serial number; receiving an account identifier; producing a non-invertible hash by operating on the product serial number and the account identifier; searching a secure distributed data store for the hash; and depending on a result of the searching, providing confirmation or denial of the hash's presence in the secure distributed data store.